1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a home network system and a method for operating the same, and more particularly to a home network system and a method for operating the same, the system and method being capable of automatically recovering system and user data of a home server by allowing a user to press a recovery button when the recovery of data, damaged due to a functional error of the home server configured in the home network system, cannot be performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A configuration of a conventional home network system will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a home network N is constructed within a home or building. A manager of the home network N can input control commands into a plurality of home appliances h1 to h4 connected to the home network N, and can identify status information of the home appliances h1 to h4, which operate in response to the control commands. Since the home server 10 is connected to each home appliance having an input unit for receiving control commands and an output unit for outputting status information of the home appliance, the home server 10 can appropriately control the home appliances h1 to h4. The home server 10 can process control signals transmitted to and received from the home appliances h1 to h4 connected to the home network N. The home server 10 includes hardware having an Internet module such that it can be connected to an external Internet network I. In this specification, for example, an Internet-based refrigerator acts as the home server 10 as shown in FIG. 1.
The manager of the home network N inputs a control command through the home server 10, and then a home appliance transmits status information to the home server 10 after performing a control operation in response to the control command. To transmit the status information, the home appliances h1 to h4 include microprocessors embedded therein and the microprocessors process data transmitted to and received from the home network N.
The home appliances h1 to h4 such as a washing machine, a microwave oven, an electric light, etc. and the home server 10 such as the Internet-based refrigerator are connected through the home network N, and transmit to and receive data from the home network N. The home network N can be extended to the external Internet network I through the Internet module embedded in the home server 10. Thus, the home network can transmit to and receive data from remote electronic devices C1 and Cn.
Here, the home network system further includes a portal server 20 performing central management for home networks constructed in a plurality of homes. The portal server 20 is typically managed and operated by a constructor of the home network N. The portal server 20 drives a web page, such that the home appliances h1 to h4 connected to the home network N can be remotely controlled. Thus, a remote controller can transmit a control command to the home appliances h1 to h4 through an electronic device RC capable of accessing the web page, and identify the status information of the home appliances h1 to h4, which perform control operations in response to control commands, respectively.
However, when a system of the home server 10 cannot be recovered from a functional error of the home server 10 or a serious signal communication error generated in the home network system configured by the conventional home server 10 and the conventional portal server 20, the user of the home network N must request a home network provider or a repair center to recover the home server 10. A recovery request procedure is complicated and its costs and recovery time can be extensive.
If the function of the home server 10 is unstable, the home appliances h1 to h4 connected to the home network N cannot be controlled and remote control cannot be performed through the external Internet network I. Thus, the stability of the home server 10 is an important factor for the stability of the home network system. Further, user data, application program data, etc. can be damaged due to an unstable system of the home server 10. The user of the home network N must prevent functional errors of the home server 10 and must perform additional maintenance and management tasks such as updating the home server system, data backup, etc.